Celebrated actress and cancer advocate S. Epatha Merkerson will host CancerCare’s annual “Partnerships in Hope” awards dinner, to be held on Thursday, February 23 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Merkerson is best known for her portrayal of NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren in the long-running NBC series, “Law & Order.” Her character faced an ovarian cancer diagnosis in the drama’s final season.

The series, which focused almost exclusively on solving the case at hand, occasionally explored its characters’ personal challenges, like this scene in which Lt. Van Buren reviews her employer-provided health plan:

Merkerson’s screen credits include Radio, Black Snake Moan and the television movie Lackawanna Blues, for which she won numerous acting awards including an Emmy, Golden Globe and Image Award.

This year’s “Partnerships in Hope” awards dinner will honor Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a longtime supporter of CancerCare’s free educational services for people affected by cancer.

Learn more about the “Partnerships in Hope” awards dinner.

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